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In the previous story, we told how Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttalib, had been
chosen to be sacrificed to Allah, but had been spared by the sacrifice of one
hundred camels. After the sacrifice of the camels had been accepted by Allah,
Abdul Muttalib decided to find a wife for Abdullah. Aminah was chosen to be
Abdullah’s wife.

Shortly after their marriage, Abdullah went with a caravan to trade in
Palestine and Syria. On the way home he stopped in Yathrib to visit family
members who lived there. He was taken fatally ill during his visit. Aminah was
deeply grieved over the death of her husband. Her only consolation was the
knowledge that she was carrying his unborn child. Sometime later her son,
Muhammad , was born.

It was the custom of the great families of Arab towns to send their sons,
soon after birth, to spend time in the desert with nomadic tribes. Not only was
the desert air healthier for the boys’ bodies but the desert environment was
also good for the boys’ spiritual and mental development, far from the
corrupting influences of city life. Boys often stayed up to eight years with
their foster families in the desert. Members of the nomadic tribes came
periodically to Makkah to find babies to nurse and raise in the desert. One
highly regarded tribe was that of Bani Saad. Haleema and her husband Harith were
members of that tribe. There had been a drought at the time of Muhammad’s
birth. Haleema and her husband had lost nearly everything. Haleema set out for Makkah
on an old donkey which was so weak that it could hardly keep up with the
others in the group. She and her husband also had an old camel which was so
poorly fed that it didn’t provide any milk for them. As a result, Haleema was
undernourished and could not produce enough milk to feed her newborn son, who
cried with hunger every night.

When they reached Makkah, no one wanted to give their baby to Haleema because
she was too weak and poor. At the same time, nobody wanted to take the baby
Muhammad to nurse because he was an
orphan and his mother was not rich. At last the only woman of Bani-Saad who had
not found a baby to nurse was Haleema; and the only boy who did not have a nurse
was Muhammad . So she agreed to take
the baby. There was an instantaneous change in the fortunes of Haleema and
Harith. When she put the baby to her breasts to feed, there was more than enough
milk to satisfy him and her own baby too. The camel suddenly produced large
quantities of milk for the woman and her husband, so that they were no longer
hungry. On the journey home, her donkey carried her so quickly that the others
had to shout to her to slow down. When they reached home, their flocks of sheep
remained well-fed and produced large quantities of milk, while the sheep of
their neighbors were hungry and would not produce a drop of milk. While the baby
stayed with them, they continued to experience the special favors of Allah.

Haleema returned Muhammad to his
mother when he was two years old. But since there were some dangerous illnesses
circulating around Makkah at that time, Aminah returned Muhammad
to Haleema to keep for a while longer.

Insha Allah, in the next story we shall continue telling of the
boyhood of Muhammad .